Hope-Focused Marriage Counseling

Everett L. Worthington, Jr. offers a comprehensive manual for assisting couples over common rough spots and through serious problems in a manner that is compassionate, effective and brief. His hope-focused (rather than problem-focused) approach enables couples to see that change is possible and gives them a new outlook on the future. Combining this with a brief approach that addresses the realities of managed care and tight budgets, Worthington shows how to be strategic in each counseling situation by including teaching, training, exercises, forgiveness, modeling and motivation.At the heart of the book are dozens of interventions and exercises, includingdrawing on central valuespromoting confession and forgivenessstrengthening communicationaiding conflict resolutionchanging patterns of thinkingdeveloping intimacycementing commitmentBacked by years of experience and substantial research, hope-focused marriage counseling offers hope to counselors that they can provide help to troubled couples quickly, compassionately and effectively. This paperback edition includes a new introduction, summarizing the latest findings and developments in marital counseling and applying hope-focused marriage counseling to today's cultural and clinical realities.

Everett L. Worthington, Jr. is chair of the department of psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University and serves as director of VCU's Marital Assessment, Therapy and Enrichment Center.